Deep Breaths and Happy Places

Do you ever have so many things in your head that you can't think straight? So many things on your to-do list that you don't even know where to start? And for some reason it seems like the more stuff you have to do the less you want to do anything? That is about where I am right now. With 4 days left until The Show I have been scrambling all weekend to get myself in order. Of course, I am willing to admit that my type A personality and constant need for perfection is probably adding to the stress level.

I have a vision in my mind of what I want my table to look like, but having never done a wedding show before I really am at a loss for how to prepare. Thankfully I will most likely be so exhausted by Thursday that I won't care if things don't work out exactly how I planned them. (But I will be doing several dry runs at home with my kitchen table.)

So last night as I laid in bed I just couldn't shut my brain off. There were a million things streaming through my consciousness, like Twitter on crack, and it was making my head hurt. When I get like that the only way I can get to sleep is with breathing and visualization exercises. I start by controlling my breath- deep in, long out - then I focus on each individual part of my body starting with my feet, letting them relax before moving on.

When I was in high school I used to sleep over at my friend Leanne's house a lot and she had this sleep CD that we would listen to. There was a soft female voice that would command us to 'relax your arms, let them go limp, feel the stress and energy release from them', while new-age music played in the background. It sounds kind of hokey, but it honestly worked! By the time you got to your head your whole body would be in a state of relaxation and peace. It is amazing what your mind is capable of if you focus.

Now I just need to apply that same idea of focus to actually finish all of the things on my to-do list.